Combines Standard Rotor in Tough Conditions

AWS has an excellent air reel out of Ontario Canada that will go on a 30ft. head no problem. They can mount the blower on the header or on the side of the combine. I have run one of these AWS systems for two years and wouldn't operate a combine without one now. I used to run a Crary before I got this AWS system.

I have used the Axial-Flow for several years now and after operating several and working on many different configurations, I have found the specialty rotor is the best for specialty crops and the standard rotor is good for soys_corn_wheat. In adverse conditions the specialty is by far the best setup. We have tested several different rotors configurations and the baxter and st. johns work well too but we configured ours with the Gordon Rotor Bars in the front and then spiked rasps in the back with some regular chrome pads throughout. The new AFX is basically the same thing with a "screw" auger on the front like White Engineers designed in the 70's. This is a little better feeding and more capacity but it does not suck in the dust and such like the elephant ears. let me know if you need more info. The JD rotor is a set of spikes throughout the rotor by the stepped level rotor cage. Just like a spiked cylinder combine vs. a rasp.

Hey Ed, I think you're the first farmer to post comments on the St. John rasp rotor. I would love to hear what you thought about it's relative capacity and ability to handle tough crops. What machine did you have it inIJ What cropsIJ I'm not familiar with the Baxter rotor. How would I get info on itIJ Thanks, Mike

I have run the St. John rotor for 1 year and I really like it. I think the upright leading edge of the bars pushes the crop ahead,instead of wedging between it and the concave.Maybe similar to the action of a spike tooth cylinder. I went from a 17 1_2' to a 20'grain head on a 1440 in good midwestern beans along with our midwestern humidity[dewy mornings and dew coming on again at 6 pm,as soon as the sun and breeze start going down].I bought it to increase my capacity in soybeans,but I think it also helps in corn.

Mike, I think there may have been previous posts inquiring about different rotors and St. Johns may or may not have been covered. We have tried several different modifications in many machines in our area. We have the 1660. We do wheat, soybeans, small reds, navies, blacks, pintos, cranberries, great northerns, etc. The baxter rotor is basically the back half of the rotor is formed with 3 angle irons running through the back half on a spiral so there is no rotor rumble and capacity is increased. They are from St. louis, MI. This setup for most crops, works well. St. Johns rotor works well too in good conditions and most of the crops (except crans and small reds) and it does seem to take less power. All in all, what I currently use is 9 (I think, but I do a lot of switching and testing) Gordon Rotor Bars along with the other front half (balanced and mixed in) configured with hard rice chrome pads, and the back half is a spiked rasp. Works like a champ.

Ed, So the bars on the front that you placed with the Gordon bars are the standard CIH rub barsIJ And the bars on the rear are the CIH rub bars with rice spikesIJ When you say "balanced and mixed in" does that mean that the Gordon Bars are spread out over all three concavesIJ Thanks, Mike

I would be interested in talking to the owner of the St. John rotor. Could you get me in contact with himIJ Thanks, Mike